Sharing nude images without consent is a crime
Image-based abuse (IBA) occurs when intimate, nude, or sexual images are distributed without the consent of those pictured.
While commonly referred to as ‘revenge porn’, in many cases IBA is not always motivated by revenge, or restricted to porn. There can be a range of motives and many kinds of images and video.
In Queensland, it is a crime to share an intimate image of someone without their consent in a way that could reasonably cause distress to the other person. It doesn’t matter if an image was originally taken with consent—if someone gave you the image or gave you permission to see the image, it does not mean they have agreed to anyone else seeing it.
The maximum penalty for sharing or threatening to share an intimate image without consent is 3 years in prison. The courts can also order people who share the images—or even threaten to share the images—to take reasonable action to remove, destroy or delete them.
If someone has shared or is threatening to share an intimate image of you or someone you know, you can:
- contact the Queensland Police Service
- contact the eSafety Commissioner to:
- seek counselling and advice from:
- Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 if you are under 25
- Lifeline on 13 11 14.